Medved Praises Gophers' Resilience, Criticizes 'Dirty' Play by MSU's Fears

Gophers head coach Niko Medved said the final minutes of the team's stunning upset of No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday were a "long three minutes." Despite giving up 21 points over the final three minutes to a top-ranked team, the Gophers were able to hold on for their third ranked win of the season — and their third court storm to follow.

When discussing the win Thursday on Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro on KFAN, Medved credited a "really resilient group" with being able to see out the hard-fought win.

"I mean, they keep coming back, giving themselves chances to win," said Medved. "But yeah, it all happened so fast. We're up 16 with three minutes to go and, boy, it just started to go the other way. You got to give Michigan State a lot of credit. They threw in some shots. You're trying not to foul but you still have to play defense. You don't want them to score quickly. But you just focus on, even as a coach, 'Hey, we got to make the next play.' And I kept feeling like once we get the ball inbounds, make enough free throws, we were going to find a way to get a win. Boy I'll tell you what, it felt good when that buzzer went off."

SCENES AT THE WILLIAMS ARENA‼️

Minnesota knocks off No. 10 Michigan State 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UD1eyadg5e
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 5, 2026

The win snapped a seven-game losing streak that featured numerous instances of Minnesota battling tough in the first half but losing energy in the second half, and letting the lead slip away late. As the minutes were ticking down and the Spartans were making shot after shot, it felt like a familiar script for fans and players alike. Medved noted that after numerous close defeats, his team and the fans needed a win like that.

"Our group needed it," continued Medved. "They kept battling and had a chance to win so many of these games. We've been heartbroken. I mean, a couple of overtime losses, been walked off at the buzzer twice. So, to come out there again against a team like that and perform the way we did, we earned that (win). We led wire-to-wire. Great mindset. So, even though it got a little hairy at the end, I thought we outplayed them and we definitely deserved to win last night."

A win like the one the Gophers earned on Wednesday night not only lifts the mood in the locker room but also restores and builds belief in what Medved, in his first year with the program, is trying to do in Minnesota.

"I wanted our players, the people around the program, and (those) who followed us to say after the season that they were more excited for the future of Gopher basketball than they were when it started. And I think the guys are doing that," said Medved. "I think they are creating some belief in themselves and the fanbase. We just got to keep going, and if we do that, we can create a great program."

Medved joked that junior forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson "probably needed an hour ice bath" after the game. Crocker-Johnson led Minnesota with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from three, in 35 minutes of action. Another player Medved credited with a big performance was senior guard Langston Reynolds, who had the unenviable task of guarding Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. Reynolds had 14 points and 8 assists in 37 minutes.

Shoutout Langston Reynolds man 🤝

Clamps on one end, buckets on the other 🪣#TeamTogether pic.twitter.com/Zp8xnD7FhM
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) February 5, 2026

Fears drew social media ire for his physical play that bordered on dirty at times. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo was clearly frustrated with his star point guard's tactics following the game, publicly questioning whether he would even start Fears in Michigan State's next game and adding that the guard has "gotta grow up a little bit."

Medved echoed those sentiments, saying Fears is a "hard guy to officiate." The Gophers' head coach added that the Michigan State guard "can be a dirty player at times." He credited Reynolds with doing a "great job of keeping his cool" after taking some cheap shots from Fears.

"The first thing is you got to make sure the officials and other people are aware of what's going on," Medved said when asked about facing a player like Fears. "And obviously everybody is. Sometimes some of those plays can be hard to catch live, it happens really quick. And listen, he's a great player. He's a tough kid. He's a competitor. He definitely crosses a line in several instances."

"I give our guys a lot of credit," continued Medved. "But (Fears) is a tough guy to play against and officiate. I'm sure Coach (Tom Izzo) will help get him under control because some of those plays are dangerous, and there's just no place for it."

The Gophers are back in action on Sunday as home favorites against Maryland. It's a 1 p.m. CT game on BTN.

Recommended reading